Many types of portable electronic devices, such as PCS or cellular phones, palm electronic devices, pagers, laptop computers, and telematics units in vehicles, need an effective and efficient antenna for communicating wirelessly with other fixed or mobile communication units. The antennas used in portable electronic devices present special design challenges in that they must be small in physical size and weight, producible at low cost, and yet powerful, efficient and highly reliable. What is needed is an improved antenna.